# Al-hurra

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{{Short description|Arabic title}}
{{distinguish|text = [Alhurra](/source/Alhurra) TV channel}}
{{other uses|Hurra (disambiguation)}}
'''Al-Hurra''' ({{Langx|ar|حُرَّة|lit=free woman}})<ref>{{Cite web|last=Project|first=Living Arabic|title=The Living Arabic Project - Classical Arabic and dialects|url=https://www.livingarabic.com/dictionaries?q=%D8%AD%D9%8F%D8%B1%D9%91%D8%A9&dc%5B%5D=classical&dc%5B%5D=nafrican&st=1&new_google_recaptcha_token=03AGdBq26IzX6lyRHtyO7ruC2lBZKzZzeEVZq1Zkv4BSuqdrL3-JcDp7AIGppwNSRoHdS_9whtzu840CMtRaVJ4kKz6bsT5mpts7MygKMljcMbtIbvbiMFHK_zHxbHCd_zpIxy6x_3nL3Nz4KSM7ccKyGhqURM2mgHTeUr3KaVmw01DVeQiLw0J7cqh4mEkPDIdJ7tJbPMwGRGewvEOwz3byqDlJOuXJoN0wp63ILcFc-sYEz688vT1GCOTmWJTrwobVu6f95nGHhRAkOQw9sq70pCB1iCv2tbceXLiG8NGSoAhfk03i_2WArNLLs3s-DqYQOc73-jBdTlBInQJ3bch7uCnjfR30PmD6wKwunpG-Hw6aUmyq7ONuRk97Zy_RnyC2R2rXGVcgiuVm74ru1uKy_LNwiHyp4ACBaVUZvLT_ZSDPBlXE476jnsi3QfZyVYg74vv1jkD_D1Q2N-jyLyA1lhfNO1pflwZg|access-date=2021-01-21|website=www.livingarabic.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Boloix-Gallardo|first=Bárbara|date=2014|title=Beyond the Ḥaram: Ibn al-Khaṭīb and His Privileged Knowledge of Royal Nasrid Women|url=|journal=Medieval Encounters|volume=20|issue=4–5|pages=383–402|doi=10.1163/15700674-12342180}}</ref> was an [Arabic](/source/Arabic) title historically often given to, or used to refer to, women who exercised power or had a position of power or high status.

In a [harem](/source/harem), the title al-hurra was often used to refer to a legal wife of aristocratic birth, to distinguish her status from that of the [concubine](/source/concubine) bought at the [slave](/source/slave) market, who was referred to as ''[jarya](/source/jarya)'',<ref name="auto">Mernissi, Fatima; Mary Jo Lakeland (2003). The forgotten queens of Islam. Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-19-579868-5}}.</ref> and used to describe a Muslim aristocratic woman who was "free" in the sense that she was not a slave;<ref name="auto"/> it is related to the style ''[Sayyida](/source/Sayyida)'' (Mistress or lady), the feminine word of ''[sayyid](/source/sayyid)'' (Master or Lord).<ref name="auto"/> However, while the title Al-hurra was given to women as an alternative to the titles ''[malika](/source/Malika_(given_name))'' (Queen), ''[Sultana](/source/Sultana_(title))'' (female sultan) and ''Sitt'', (Lady), there was no exact male equivalent to the title of al-hurra.<ref name="auto"/>

The title Al-hurra was often granted to women who wielded political power, but did not necessarily mean they were sovereigns: [Alam al-Malika](/source/Alam_al-Malika) and [Sayyida al Hurra](/source/Sayyida_al_Hurra), for example, bore this title. Both had political offices; not as sovereigns, but as political adviser and governor respectively.<ref name="auto"/>

==Noted title holders==
* [Asma bint Shihab](/source/Asma_bint_Shihab)
* [Arwa al-Sulayhi](/source/Arwa_al-Sulayhi)
* [Alam al-Malika](/source/Alam_al-Malika) 
* [Aixa](/source/Aixa)
* [Sayyida al Hurra](/source/Sayyida_al_Hurra)

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* Mernissi, Fatima; Mary Jo Lakeland (2003). The forgotten queens of Islam. Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-19-579868-5}}.
{{DEFAULTSORT:hurra }}
Category:Islamic honorifics
Category:Women monarchs
Category:Arabic words and phrases
Category:Heads of state
Category:Royal titles
Category:Noble titles of women
Category:Titles of national or ethnic leadership

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Al-hurra](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-hurra) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-hurra?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.